Eggplant fantasy in an oven

I have yet to conquer the various types of eggplants, including the giant American version, the tiny Indian species, and the cucumber-like Italian ones. All of them have thick dark skin that remains too conspicuous to taste after cooking. The white eggplant is only a little better. Meanwhile, I am just contented with my fantasies with the dainty Chinese eggplant. After trying out some lasagna recipes, I started to wonder what would happen if the noodle is replaced by eggplant.

Recipe 1: Baked eggplant with beef, tomato and cheese (for 3)

Ingredients:
- 2 medium size Chinese eggplants, sliced diagonally to 1/4" thick
- 1/2 lb minced beef with at least 80% lean meat
- 1 tablespoon (TB) italian seasoning
- 1 cup tomato pasta sauce
- 1/2 small onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 TB olive oil
- 1 cup red wine
- 3-4 TB mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 TB parsley flakes or marjoram flakes

Procedure:

1. Set eggplant slices on flat baking pan. Heat in oven at 450F using upper heating element (ie. the broil function). When top side is dry, flip and gril the other side. Do not burn. Set aside.

2. Heat minced beef in pan without oil. When it is semi-cooked, add italian seasoning, chopped onion and garlic, mix and stir. Drain fat if necessary. Add 1 cup red wine and continue heating. When mixture boils, add tomato sauce. Mix and stir. Do not let the mixture stick to bottom of pan. Ready when mixture is thick.

3. Coat baking pan with olive oil. Add one layer of eggplant, followed by one layer of beef mixture. Repeat layering. Last layer needs to be beef. Cover top layer with 3-4 TB mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle parsley/marjoram flakes. Bake at 300F to 350F until top is dry (take about 45 minutes).

One day, I spotted some salted anchovies in the market. I liked them a lot while in Italy. But in the US, many people don't like it, especially when it is on a pizza. Well, there are those who don't like it no matter how it is cooked. But I suspect that for many, it's simply the way it is served that doesn't appeal to the appetite. In fact, some friend who disliked anchovies all his life got addicted to these small fishes, when I offered them to him as a spicy crispy snack. Perhaps the pizza places need to realize that salted anchovies are more a seasoning than a topping. To eat them as fishes is like to eat garlic as a vegetable. 

Recipe 2: Eggplant with pork, tomato, anchovies and cheeses (for 2)
In this dish, I want to toy with the sharp contrast between salted anchovies and the rest of the ingredients. I use unsalted tomato sauce. The egg helps gluing the mixture together.


Ingredients:
- 3 Oz cooked pork, finely chopped
- 1 medium eggplant diagonally sliced to 1/4" thick
- 1 egg
- 1.5 TB ricotta cheese
- 4 TB unsalted tomato sauce
- 6 salted anchovy preserve (about 15g)
- 2 TB mozzarella cheese shredded
- dash of marjoram


Procedure:
Broil sliced eggplant at 450F until soft. Mix egg with ricotta cheese. Layer eggplant and pork in a baking pan. Spread tomato sauce, cheese and egg mixture every two layers. Cover top with tomato sauce. Add anchovy bits on top. Do not mix. Bake at 350F until semi-dry. (Note: tomato sauce gives ample water.) Sprinkle mozzarella and marjoram on top. Turn off oven. Let sit in oven uncovered for 10 minutes or until serve.